In addition to our annual international sales meeting, we are delighted to report that, as of 2023, the international aftersales meeting has become another fixture in the calendar!
That's when our aftersales colleagues from our subsidiaries – in Germany, France, Italy, the UK and beyond – pack their suitcases for a (business) trip to our headquarters in the Netherlands. The event included presentations and informative workshops, as well as the opportunity to share insights and take part in team-building activities.
We asked our colleagues what they thought of the event and received an enthusiastic response:
Return of the international aftersales meeting this year!
Carlo Hakvoort | Aftersales & Service Specialist
→ VB-Airsuspension B.V. (NL)
"The great thing about having this aftersales meeting is that we can work through the topics together in an informal setting. We can learn with and from one another. The meetings are an opportunity to compare and contrast our aftersales approach, to give and receive feedback and to align our vision. This helps us pursue our common goals together. l also value the opportunity to meet with others in aftersales: we were able to give presentations on the latest VBA developments, including the VB-SemiAir digital control unit."
Thorsten van der Weide | Aftersales & Service Specialist
→ VB-Airsuspension B.V. (NL)
"It may be a little clichéd to say it, but the reason for holding the aftersales meeting is to take our team-building to the next level: and it succeeded! Our (international) colleagues got a lot from being able to work together in this way. Without putting too fine a point on it, these meetings help us be more effective in what we do. It is a great way to bring VB-NL and our subsidiaries together."
Jérôme Schuller | Sales & Aftersales Specialist
→ VB-Airsuspension France S.A.R.L.
"I really enjoyed my first visit to the Netherlands and the few days I spent with the various VB employees from each country. It's great to get to know colleagues you speak to but don't see; it makes your work a bit more human. Besides getting to know everyone, it allows us to share our experiences and improve our way of working. Additionally, to be more efficient and responsive to the various problems we face throughout the year. I realized that our ways of working and approaching problems are not necessarily identical. The different points that were raised also reinforced my belief that we all need to work together to be as responsive as possible. Of course, we want to continuously improve our processes and find solutions to make our work even more efficient, but that's exactly what these moments are for!"
Özkan Erdem | Technical Aftersales Specialist
→ VB-Airsuspension Deutschland GmbH
"It was nice to meet with the entire aftersales team again and discuss various topics in a relaxed atmosphere, especially as we were able to go into more detail about the VB-SemiAir digital control unit.
The purpose of this meeting was to ensure that everyone has the same level of knowledge. For me, covering more technical topics is particularly beneficial compared to administrative ones.
The exchange of information among team members also brought additional suggestions and solution tips to the table, which were valuable."
Stuart Smith | Aftersales Executive
→ VB-Airsuspension U.K. Ltd.
“Overall, it was an extremely insightful and positive couple of days. It was great to meet up with all the daughters once more, and to catch up with colleagues. I always enjoy visiting the head office as everybody is always very welcoming, and it is nice to speak face to face with colleagues whom I usually only speak to via email and Teams.
The purpose of the meetings is to give the global aftersales group a chance to come together once a year to share knowledge and discuss ideas to help us improve the services we are able to offer to our customers, making their interactions with us as pleasant an experience as possible.
On a personal level, it was great to spend some time catching up with colleagues from VB-France, VB-Germany, VB-Italy and of course VB-Netherlands! From a work perspective, it is great to be able to see the upcoming and current projects. It is always nice to see what is going on at head office, and what new products and ideas we are expecting over the coming 12 months.”
Yoann Bescher | Aftersales Executive
→ SARL VB-Airsuspension France
"Attending my second aftersales meeting, I can say we are always warmly welcomed. It’s invaluable to connect in person with VBA and the subsidiaries. The goal of these meetings, I believe, is to share perspectives, discuss areas for improvement, and envision future steps. I left eager to see the changes we discussed come to life!"
The multi-day event was intensive with a packed schedule. An enjoyable time was had by all, with participants appreciating the opportunity to work together in person rather than sit behind a screen in remote places. It was the perfect opportunity for our (international) colleagues to come together and see what goes on behind the scenes.
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Return of the international aftersales meeting this year!
In addition to our annual international sales meeting, we are delighted to report that, as of 2023, the international aftersales meeting has become another fixture in the calendar!
We have updated our brochures!
We're already through October and the end of the year is in sight. Before you know it, we'll be settling in for those chilly evenings again: lighting the stove, putting our feet up and getting the tablet out while relaxing on the sofa.
We were keen to celebrate a special moment with Martin!
Today, 20 October, was officially our colleague Martin Uffink's last day of work and marked the start of his retirement. He chose not to work up to the very last minute: with some hours saved up and annual leave owed, his last day at VB-Airsuspension was actually back in August –on Thursday 22nd, to be precise.